ESIC installs oxygen plants at 2 Delhi-NCR hospitals; Kejriwal govt extends lockdown till May 17

The ESIC under the Ministry of Labour and Employment has installed oxygen generation plants at two hospitals in the Delhi NCR area. A 440 LPM capacity plant has been installed at the ESIC Hospital and Medical College in Faridabad, while another plant of 220 LPM capacity was commissioned at ESIC Hospital in Jhilmil, New Delhi, today. This will enable these hospitals to augment the availability of their ICU and ventilator beds.

ESIC is actively helping fight COVID-19 by quickly converting 30 hospitals all over the country into Covid Dedicated facilities. These hospitals have around 4,200 beds, including 300 ICU beds and 250 ventilator beds. The facility has been made available to all citizens of the country. A dashboard has also been started to facilitate beneficiaries to know about the availability of beds in these hospitals.

Also read: COVID-19 crisis: Delhi Metro services to remain suspended from Monday till May 17 morning

Union Minister of State Santosh Gangwar congratulated the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff of ESIC hospitals for achieving this feat. He expressed hope they will keep their morale high during this pandemic, and keep serving humanity with dedication.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday, May 9, announced the extension of lockdown in Delhi by another week till May 17 in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the national capital. Addressing a press briefing, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also announced that metro services will remain suspended too during the lockdown period. During the previous curbs, the metro was open in the morning, from 8 am to 10 pm, and evening, from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Kejriwal had announced a six-day lockdown in Delhi on April 19, which was earlier extended to May 3 and then May 10 with hospitals in the national capital overloaded and medicine and oxygen supplies running low.

Also Read: Delhi government extends COVID-19 lockdown by 1 week

Also Read: Lockdown in Delhi: Guidelines, rules, timings, dates; what's allowed, what's not allowed